Despite the fact that General Motors has killed the Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid, the Environmental Protection Agency still released its fuel economy numbers: 27 miles per gallon in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 28 mpg combined. GM had previously estimated that the system would get 30 mpg or more on the highway.
Those numbers don't seem that impressive compared to the mild hybrid version of the Vue, which also had a combined rating of 28 mpg (25 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway). The 2-mode hybrid, however, employs a six-cylinder engine, while the mild hybrid uses a four-cylinder. Compared with the non-hybrid version of the six-cylinder Vue, GM doubled the combined fuel economy.
Since it decided to offload the Saturn brand, GM has struggled to develop a vehicle that can use the 2-mode hybrid. The most recent debacle centered on a rebadged Vue for the Buick brand, dubbed affectionately by observers as the "Vuick." That vehicle was essentially a Vue with a Buick grille, and was scheduled to get the four-cylinder engine from the Vue lineup at launch, followed by the 2-mode hybrid system the following year. GM killed the project within days of its public announcement following what it called "consistent" negative feedback.
GM says the 2-Mode hybrid system will still make its way into a GM vehicle - we're guessing it'll debut in the Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Terrain, which are long-wheelbase platform-mates of the Vue.